1 Best Free Alternatives to Crisp in 2026
By Noahlast updated pricing verified
Compared: free alternatives to Crisp
| Alternative | Best for | Standout | Biggest weakness | Learning curve | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crispreference | small support and sales teams that want a shared omnichannel inbox, live chat, and no-code AI automation billed as a flat per-workspace rate instead of per-agent | Flat per-workspace pricing that bundles a fixed number of seats instead of charging per agent, plus a no-code builder for AI agent workflows that automates routine replies across every connected channel. | Enterprise-grade features like white labeling and unlimited task automation require the $295/month Plus plan, and AI automation runs on a metered credit system on every paid tier, so heavy AI usage can add unplanned cost beyond the base subscription. | Low | Free tier · paid from $45/mo |
| Help Scout | small support teams under 10 agents who want a shared inbox that reads like email rather than a numbered-ticket queue | The core interface is a shared email inbox rather than a ticket-number system, so agents work in a format that feels like a normal inbox instead of learning a dedicated ticketing UI. | The free plan caps out at 5 users and 100 monthly contacts, and jumping to live chat and multichannel support on Standard means every agent seat costs $25/month with no lower-priced middle option; the separate $0.75-per-resolution AI Answers add-on can also become unpredictable at high support volume. | Low | Free tier · paid from $25/mo |
Crisp
Help Scout1.Help Scout — best Crisp alternative for small support teams under 10 agents who want a shared inbox that reads like email rather than a numbered-ticket queue
Help Scout is the best Crisp alternative for small support teams that want a shared inbox styled like email rather than a numbered-ticket queue. Its Free plan supports 5 users, more seats than Crisp's own 2-seat free plan, and Help Scout holds a 4.6/5 rating from 226 Capterra reviews, matching Crisp's own 4.6/5 score with more review volume. Paid tiers add live chat, SMS, and social channels (WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger) starting on Standard, plus an AI Inbox assistant bundled in rather than sold separately, and Plus layers in Salesforce, Jira, and HubSpot integrations. Crisp is still the better choice for teams that want a richer free tier from day one: Help Scout's Free plan is capped at 100 monthly contacts and email-only, with live chat and every social channel locked behind the $25/user/month Standard plan, while Crisp's own free plan already includes its chat widget plus WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, SMS, Telegram, and phone with unlimited conversations at no cost.
Compared to Crisp: a free plan supporting 5 users, a 4.6/5 rating from 226 Capterra reviews matching Crisp's own score, and an AI Inbox assistant bundled into the Standard plan
Wins:Free plan supports 5 users, more seats than Crisp's own 2-seat free plan · 4.6/5 rating from 226 Capterra reviews, matching Crisp's own score with more than 50% more review volume · AI Inbox assistant bundled into the Standard plan rather than sold as a separate add-on
Loses:Free plan is capped at 100 monthly contacts and email-only, unlike Crisp's free plan, which includes unlimited conversations across its chat widget plus WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, SMS, Telegram, and phone · Live chat and every social channel are locked behind the $25/user/month Standard plan, while Crisp bundles all of those channels into its free tier · SSO/SAML and HIPAA compliance are gated to the $75/user/month Pro plan, the highest tier
Pros
- Free plan supports 5 real users with no time limit, not just a trial.
- Shared-inbox interface is close to email, so new agents ramp up quickly.
- AI Inbox assistant is bundled starting on the Standard plan rather than sold as a separate add-on.
- Native iOS and Android apps let agents respond to conversations away from a desktop.
Cons
- Live chat and social channels (WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger) require the $25/user/month Standard plan; the free tier is email-only.
- SSO/SAML and HIPAA compliance are locked to the $75/user/month Pro plan, the highest tier.
- AI Answers is billed separately at $0.75 per resolution, which adds unpredictable cost on top of the per-seat price.
- Per-user pricing on Standard and above can get expensive quickly for larger support teams compared to flat-rate helpdesks.
Pricing: Free tier · paid from $25/mo — Free (5 users, 100 monthly contacts, email-only) vs Crisp's free (2 seats, unlimited conversations, all channels); Help Scout Standard is $25/user/month vs Crisp's $45/month flat for 4 seats (Mini, ~$11.25/seat) (verified undefined NaN, NaN)